


Soft spoken on cold foggy nights

by HimboWashington



Category: Twilight (Movies), Twilight Series - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Imprinting, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Smut, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Imprinting (Twilight), Soul Bond
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-12
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:28:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26961394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HimboWashington/pseuds/HimboWashington
Summary: This is basically an au: where my oc Carter Black( Jacob's older sister fem! werewolf who moved for school and is returning to the res after having graduated uni) imprints on Carlisle except for imprinting in this case is much more of a two party bond instead of just a werewolf thing in this auand the aftermath that follows when you imprint with the head of a coven of vampires as you yourself are the rightful heir to the throne to a pack of werewolves.In short it's complicated but leaves room for low-key kind of an ultimate power couple
Relationships: Carlisle Cullen & Original Female Character(s), Carlisle Cullen/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 52





	1. Carter

The drizzle is perpetual. A young woman stands proudly in the elements she’s as used to the earth as it is to her. She closes her eyes breathing in the crisp fog-laden air. The world is quiet for a moment before she turns toward a noise behind her. Leah Clearwater approaches her, calling out, “Alright, I know you’ve missed the res but don’t get too carried away with it.” She scolds wrapping the other woman in a warm blanket. “Grouchy as always, where’s Seth? I like him better.” The other woman prods, smiling as she watches Leah’s temper flare. “I liked you away at Uni better” She retorts. “So did I.” The other responds. There’s a silence between them. “You choose to be a lone wolf you know,” Leah says quietly, looking away. “I know, but it must be. I don’t want to challenge Sam’s place, surely you of all people would understand that.” Leah turns her head sharply to look at the other woman. “Well, you’ve come home just in time for a fight. We go down and defend territory with the bloodsuckers in a few hours.” The other woman’s eyes widen comically. She steps close to Leah, “Bloodsuckers?” She parrots. Leah looks at her quizically before breaking out into a laugh. “Oh shit, you really have been gone haven’t you, Carter?” She continues to cackle.  
“What are you talking about?”  
“The Cullens. They’ve come back.”  
“The Cullens? Who the hell-wait like the legends ?”  
“The Cold ones are everywhere these days.” She replies offhandedly.  
“So you’ll fight together huh?”  
“They’re...different.”  
“Oh, come on Leah give me a break.”  
“Really. They aren’t my preferred company either but even wolves need allies sometimes.” Carter turns her head away decidedly looking back into the fog, Leah, fighting alongside those creatures is a difficult image to conjure in her head. She decides to make a mental note to ask Billy about these Cullens later.

~~~~~~~~After Eclipse Battle when Jacob’s taken home to get his bones reset~~~~~~~

The eye of the storm comes head-on before either Carter or Billy can realize it. They both sit one moment next to the crackling fire and the next someone’s busting the door down, it’s Sam and it doesn’t look good from his expression. The next thing she knows the entire packs in the house standing shoulder to shoulder a body gently carried between them, Jacob. She helps direct the crowd as best she can being careful to mind the crowd from trampling Billy, seated in his wheelchair. Everythings a flurry of chaos, people everywhere outside in the house. “Where is the damn doctor?” She cries out looking down at Jacob as he tries his best to hold back pained screams.  
“Carlisle will be here soon to patch him up,” She looks up into the face of Sam Ulley.  
“Carlisle? One of the- you can’t be serious. He won’t fix Jacob, he’ll kill him.” She snaps back furious he would even consider the notion.  
“Jacob’s a pack member Carter I suggest you remember who’s in charge.”  
“He might be but I’m certainly not in your little pack of bandits so you better watch what you say to me, Sam Ulley.”  
They’re nose to nose when they realize someone’s at the door, interrupting the argument. They all turn their heads. Carter remembers her last thought to herself she has before she turns to look at him. “Great, now here comes the bloodsucker.”  
Her head pivots as her gaze lands on a tall,youthful-looking man, marble pale skin with Blonde hair and striking gold eyes. As her gaze travels upwards to scan the would-be intruder finally their eyes meet and it’s like a white-hot branding iron being shoved down her chest. For what it’s worth she can at least tell that “Carlisle” seemed to be just as floored as herself. He stumbles back a few paces like he’s in shellshock looking for all in the world like he’d just gotten the breath knocked out of him. He braces himself with the door while Sam braces Carter, keeping her from toppling over. He knows better than anyone what’s just happened to the two of them but he won’t breathe a word of it to anyone. Despite being an asshole sometimes Sam understands when to talk and when to stay silent. It’s what makes him such a great pack leader. “Alright everyone clear the way. Doctor’s in the house!” sam orders, sending the other members scurrying around to make a path for the vampire to make his way through the house to the wounded boy. Nothing is said between the two of them but as he passes his eyes never leave hers, they gaze back at one another trying to size each other up as much as possible before he has to tear his eyes away once he passes her down the hallway. Both minds reeling. Of course, this halts as soon as Jake’s bloodcurdling screams start to ring through the house. No one can think, only sit and listen and wait for it to finally end.


	2. Sam

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> short chapter but we're getting there ladies and gents next one should be a longer one for the meeting! As always Thank you for reading and let me know what you think!

She’s stationed outside sitting next to Billy in a pull-out chair by the time it’s finally done. She knew first and foremost she needed to care for her father, worried to death by the alarming screams of utter agony coming out of Jacob’s bedroom. She shook her head, the trust they had to have in that vampire she scoffed to herself before pausing. That vampire. She turns quickly back to focusing on her family, her pack, and her tribe. She reminds herself that these are what make a person, no need to dwell on what’s out of her control. This is a fantastic plan until she remembers that he is here for a job, a job that by the silence in the house sounds like is finally mercifully done with. She closes her eyes exhaling maybe if she wishes hard enough he won’t see her.  
“All done. Just make sure he rests and hydrates otherwise his healing factor should do the rest.”  
Well, it was a nice try anyway, she opens her eyes only to once again feel like she’s drowning from the inside out as she realizes he’s looking straight at her. The bond is visceral and almost painfully raw and most of all it hurts. She wonders for a split second if it hurts him too. Billy nods his head in approval to the vampire’s directions unaware of the tension between the two.  
“Thank you, Carlisle. You’re a good man. Oh, you came in such a rush with Jacob earlier I didn’t get a chance to introduce my oldest, Carter, back home with a bachelor’s degree no less!” Billy brags proudly smiling as he looks over to his daughter. They lock eyes agonizingly again staring at one another in silence for a beat.  
“Oldest? This is a surprise but a pleasant one. Carlisle Cullen, terribly nice to meet your acquaintance”  
Then he bows, a sign of respect, obedience, and most importantly discretion. She doesn’t know exactly how but she is absolutely sure of the intent of the gesture.  
It might be a bit stiff and formal but she supposed that’s only to be expected from someone who was raised in the strict courtly manners of the past. She doesn’t even know what era he’s from. “Likewise, Carlisle.” She responds watching his jaw tighten at the mention of his name. A bold choice. It hadn’t escaped her that he had pointedly avoided saying her name as though he were afraid it would scald his mouth to even try. He blinks several times rapidly like he’s grappling to regain control. So it does hurt him too, she thinks to herself as she watches him. “Well, I’d better be off. Call me if anything happens or if Jacob gets in too much pain. It was nice meeting you. Goodnight.” He rattles off before practically falling back towards his car in an attempt to flee. She studies him closely as he cranks his car and drives away back into the night. She takes her first deep breath since he had emerged before heading to the side of the house for a smoke. As she turns the corner she nearly runs straight into the still figure of Sam. She backs up going to walk past him when he speaks up.  
“What’re you going to do?” He asks, she wishes she could play dumb that she could act like she didn’t know what he meant.”  
“I don’t know.”  
“You should speak with him. Alone.”  
She exhales sharply.  
“How?”  
“I can arrange it. Imprint law is absolute. The tribe will assist you.”  
“The tribe?!”  
“I will, as alpha to this tribe’s pack.”  
“What do I even say to him?”  
“You’ll know. That’s how it was with Em and I anyway.”  
“Oh, I heard about that. I can’t imagine incurring the wrath of Leah like that.”  
“I think what made her the most upset was that it was out of everyone’s control.”  
“Fate.”  
“Whatever you want to call it.”  
They stand side by silence looking out into the darkness of the forest.  
“What’s he like?”  
Sam almost jumps, shocked by the silence broken between them.  
“He’s a doctor. He’s the head of the coven. He eats animals instead of people even when he’s not on our land.”  
“They can survive like that?”  
“Guess so, that’s why his eyes are like that.”  
“Like what?”  
“Golden, freaks me out sometimes if I look at them too long.”  
“What would they be normally?”  
“Red, now let me tell you that is truly freaky.”  
No matter what she couldn’t picture Carlisle with red eyes. They didn’t belong on him somehow, she could tell. She supposes technically he probably had to have had them at some point but his warm golden eyes suited himself better. Funny all this thought on a total stranger.  
“He’s also married.”  
It’s at this point she wonders if she should have stayed in the city. For everyone’s sake.  
“Of course he is.” She replies in a defeated tone.  
“Look, things are complicated, things are always going to be complicated. Speak with him, I’m confident you’ll figure it out between the two of you.”  
“Okay, fine, but only if he agrees. I don’t want this to be an ambush, Sam.”  
“Look at you, already watching out for you little vampire-” His teasing is interrupted as she grapples him to the ground.  
“Shut up, asshole.” She snarls but with a laugh as she and Sam playfight.  
“Hey! No roughhousing this late!” Billy’s voice pierces through the air.  
They stop, still laughing with one another.  
“Tomorrow, just you watch. He’ll accept.” Sam says in parting to her before heading into the house.  
Tomorrow, she thinks.


	3. Carlisle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy indigenous people's day! It's my hope to really flesh out a lot of the tribe members we're introduced to in the movies as they're all really interesting in their own right especially with being able to literally shift their spirits into wolves but I promise if the series keeps doing well to get to all of the cullens at some point don't worry! Anyway Thank you so much for all the kind feedback/kudos/bookmarks and as always please let me know what you think if you'd like to! Thank you for reading and Now back to the show!

For most of the morning, she lays in bed trying to figure out if last night was a dream or not. She stays in bed, where it’s still a possibility fearful to leave her room and have to face reality one way or the other. Once she leaves her room she’ll have to face Sam and will be forced to recognize the truth. It all sounds so exhausting. Yet finally, at lunch, she decides to finally brave the outside world. Her first steps out into the real world are bone cold, the fall air sweeping through the open house. She stretches walking into the kitchen to see Paul and Sam talking over cups of coffee. Sam glances at her, but otherwise shows no hint that anything’s amiss, turning back to Paul to respond to whatever the other had said. Paul turns and clocks her, his face breaking out into a grin. Paul had always been like another younger brother to her, emotional and hot-tempered, but loyal she knew he could rub people the wrong way which is why she doted on him most. He was often misguided but a good kid nonetheless. He turns reaching out a hand to greet her. “Hey Carter, you’re up. Here let me make you a coffee, cream no sugar still or did you get fancier in college?” He asks, showing off his typical Paul bravado. “Nope. Same old same old.” She replies patting him on the back of the head before accepting the cup of coffee from him. “Thanks.”  
“No problem, chief.”  
She bows her head smiling, as Paul walks past into the living room.  
“Where’s Jake?” She asks as he leaves.  
Sam turns his head to address her.  
“At Bella’s.”  
“He really doesn’t take a moment to rest, does he?”  
“No, listen, your brother, he’s real hung up on her. It’s eating him up though. I hate to watch it.”  
“He’ll find someone. It will work out as it’s supposed to it.” A soft voice says behind Carter.  
The owner of the voice, Emily, puts two breakfast plates on the table in front of them.  
“You didn’t think you could come home and we’d not feed you, did you? Eat up, both of you.” She teases good-naturedly, placing a reassuring hand on Carter’s shoulder, before whisking herself back to the living room to help Paul try and set up the DVD player.  
“Em seems as bubbly as ever.” She says to break the silence.  
“Yeah, she’s happy I think.” There’s a beat of silence before he takes another breath to speak, “ You know, Carter. Things have been hard, especially with Leah and all but things are good. It’s alright I mean. It works. We’re happy, I think.” He rambles trying desperately to reassure her in a hilariously endearing way unique to Sam. His heart was in the right place even if he could be lacking in subtleness. He was tiptoeing around the subject trying to avoid upsetting her and for that she was grateful. “Thanks for everything, Sam.” She decides on, short but honest and true Sam would appreciate it. “Look, you’re just- you might not be in the pack but you are one of us and we’ll always take care of you, we’re family the whole tribe.”He says softly. She smiles, looking down at her coffee before taking a sip and looking out the window at the gentle rain on the glass panes. After a few beats of silence and a few breaths, she turns back to him finally building the resolve to start dealing with “the vampire problem” as she had so far labeled the event in her mind.  
“So, How do we do this?” She finally asks the question he’s been waiting on for the entire conversation. “I called him this morning on...official business and he’s agreed to meet you whenever suits you best.”  
“Wait, you said he’s a doctor right? He can’t just meet at any time surely. He’s got work or patients or something.”  
“I wouldn’t worry about it. He seemed more than willing to make the exception on the phone,” Sam responds, words doused in heavy subtext as he takes a sip of his coffee.  
“Well, be that as it may, I don’t want to be an asshole so tell him whenever his lunch break works fine for me.”  
“Good, because he’s on his way and he’s called out of work already so it’s fine.”  
Her eyes widen comically as she turns to gape at him.  
“What the hell, Sam!” She chides smacking him on the arm.  
“Look, I’m trying to help just trust me.”He laughs.  
“I don’t know if I should anymore,” She replies smiling, back at him.  
“Well, how about this, in thirty minutes the pack and I are all going cliff jumping and Billy’s heading out to Charlie’s so you’ll have the house, empty. No prying teen wolves on your case, I promise.”  
“That’s as reassuring as it is stressful.”  
“I can stay if you’d like.”  
“You trust him?”  
“Yes, I do. He’s shown us a lot of kindness. I have to admit, he is very cordial and always has been to us. I mean hell even Leah’s alright with him.”  
“Then I’ll meet him personally and on my own.”  
“Alright, chief,” he responds, she shies her head away at the nickname, a constant reminder of who she is expected to be, not who she is now.  
“Go round up the hounds. I’ll see you later.” She finally says shooing him away in the direction of Paul and Em on the couch sitting next to Billy. If he managed to pull this stunt off it she’d owe him big time. She thought to herself as she watched them talking to one another.

~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She owed him big time. Sam somehow managed to get everyone out faster than a racing pit crew, leaving Carter to have a rare peaceful moment to herself in a house that was rarely empty. As she’s just refilled the coffee pot she hears the sound of tires on gravel from the driveway. She breathes in closing her eyes, preparing for the knock on the door. Her heart is racing. Can he hear it? She wonders. All of sudden she's doing breathing exercises trying desperately to meet him with a calm front. Then she stops, panicking more he’s a doctor, he’ll know either way. She’s desperately grappling for a solution in her mind when she hears a gentle knock on the front door. Fuck it, she thinks, she’ll just do the best she can. With this resolve she pulls her shoulders back and goes to answer the door. She opens it slowly, he stands in an overcoat on the stoop, shoulders hunched together. How does he manage to seem so human even as a vampire she wonders fascinated as she watches him shift to adjust to the cold. He seemed to be wrapped in layers of clothing and despite his nature he glowed with warmth somehow, maybe it was just his honey colored eyes but she doubted it was that surface deep. She’s struck from her train of thought when he speaks, “Hello,” He says, shifting on his feet, she finds his nervous ticks amusing, especially for a vampire. “Come on in, it’s raining.” She says “Thank you” he replies in an earnest tone that turns her stomach inside out. He is so polite in his manners. She steps back against the doorframe to let him enter the house. As he steps up and past her through the doorway their shoulders brush together for a moment and both of their ears are ringing from the feedback of the bond. She hears him sharply exhale before making his way into the house. He stands in the middle of the kitchen awaiting direction. She doesn’t realize this until they’re side by side and he simply looks back at her, content to wait patiently. For a split second she blindingly adores him as she realizes this. “Would you like to sit?” “I’d prefer to stand if that’s agreeable to you.” he responds, instantly, his nervousness bubbling through to the surface. He blinks before taking another breath in, “Of course if you’d like me to sit then I would not mind.” She can see him drawing lines in the sand trying to show her that he isn’t a threat. He is bowing to her again, she’s slowly getting accustomed to his behavior and learning the ropes to translate his intent. It’s comforting to her in a way instead of trying to impress her by a show of strength he chooses instead to bow. It’s oddly knightly and makes her realize once again she doesn’t even know what era he’s from. “Carlisle,” She goes to ask, pausing as his head snaps to attention, his eyes bright with interest. “Do you know what’s happened?” She asks, cautiously trying to gage what page he’s on. He takes a moment to consider, furrowing his brow in thought, “Not exactly but I can feel it. I knew it immediately. We both did I could tell when we looked at eachother, it was as though I could hear you almost. Whatever it is i assume it’s not accustomed to my nature as it’s aggravated my thirst quite a bit. It’s why I had to leave so quickly it was almost overwhelming. It’s been a long time since I was that out of control, centuries at least.”  
“Thirst? What like our bond makes you want to kill me and drain the blood out from me?”  
“I don’t think I’d phrase it that way.”  
“Of course you wouldn’t.” she teases, earning a bright smile from the man who recognizes the joke for what it is, a peace offering.  
“I just mean that whatever it is it feels deep.” He amends quietly.  
“Does it hurt sometimes?”  
“Yes, terribly. Does it hurt you?” He responds honestly.  
“Yes.”  
“What has happened to us?” He asks looking regretful to have caused someone else any pain even if out of his control.  
She spends the next hour and a half treating him like a child of the tribe telling him the legends of the tribe, the sacred laws and the most sacred of all, imprinting. He listens dutifully, asking questions, clarifications but otherwise quietly nodding his head along. “Soulmates with a soulless creature, the world’s always had such an odd sense of humor.” He says, when she turns to look at him she sees him staring into the distance, for the first time since she met him he looks old, weary, someone who had seen more than their fair share. “Don’t say that.” She chides, but it holds no weight behind it. “It’s true.” He replies, taking a deep breath, that he technically didn't need but was comforting to him just the same. All of these small human ticks, she had no idea vampires could be so social, especially outside of their own kind. It was difficult to tell what was vampire and what was unique to Carlisle as she hadn’t any of the others to compare him to. “Shut up, I say you're wrong.” The phrase leaves her lips before she can process what she had even said, her intuition had spoken to her. She watches his jaw clench as he tries to process the strangeness as well as the sudden familiarity between the two of them. “Yes ma’am.” He replies slowly, keeping eye contact, bowing again. He lowers his head in a mocking gesture more than a true bow, she realises with a warmth that he’s trying to make her laugh and he succeeds. She’s caught up in the laughter and thrill of all of it until she leans back coming back to herself once again, She stops, “You have a wife, don’t you?” He freezes at the words, just as affected by the giddiness of the bond, he seems to be grappling just as much as her, she notes reassuringly. “Yes, I do.” He breathes out immediately in response, well at the very least he’s honest she thinks to herself.He straightens up from his chair suddenly realising himself. “I would like to, if at all possible, avoid being a homewrecker.” She finally replies trying to hide her nerves through her jokes. “When you live as long as we do, you learn not everything’s as cut and dry as what humans think, especially of our family. None of my children are mine, yet I love them like they’re my heirs. Rosalie and Jasper share the same last name and are considered brother and sister though they were born centuries apart. Besides, I will do as you ask of me, only. You set the boundaries and I’ll mind them, after all that’s how we made the peace treaty between us all in the first place.”His tone and rational nature is soothing especially when she begins to panic. It’s a reassuring constant tone, warm, like all of Carlisle, somehow, despite his nature. She stares back into his reassuring honey colored eyes losing her train of thought for a moment before snapping back to reality. She’s quiet for a long moment trying to process the weight and sincerity of his words. “Leah said there was a fight in the woods yesterday, that’s what happened to Jake, right?” She asks quizzically, turning her gaze to the ground in thought. “Yes, we, um- seem to attract attention to ourselves even when we’re in hiding. A newborn army was the newest threat, though these days it seems to be always something.The Volturi dealt with it.” He spits out the last sentence cryptically turning his gaze outside sharply to try and hide his expression. Their methods are barbaric to him, she can read it from the angle of his shoulders, distressed, uncomfortable, the tight line of his mouth and worst of all his eyes that looked away as though he were ashamed, disgusted with himself. She pauses in her thoughts, how could Carlisle feel guilty for anything at all? Whatever it was she could feel it like a cloud over him, lost in thought, replaying a scene over and over like a broken record. A scene of what? She wonders for a moment, she thinks to herself how she wishes she could reassure him when she notices him shift forward in his seat, eyes widened slightly, he grips the edge of the table. “Did you do that?” He asks softly, shocked by whatever feeling had come over him. “I -don’t know. Maybe? Are you alright?” She responds, shifting forward to try and steady him slightly. Her hand hovers over his arm waiting for a signal from him, he turns slowly looking at her hand hovering in the air above his arm before shifting forward into the touch. “You’re warm.” He says softly, she chuckles, “and you’re cold.” She retorts. He shakes his head, “No, I meant - I don’t know how to describe it.” He struggles. “Painful?” She asks, subconsciously running a hand down his arm, there’s heavy silence for a moment broken only by the sound of the sharp exhale that comes from him in shock. “No, it’s nice. Like... standing in the sun.” He replies. She squeezes his bicep, in return he lowers his head closing his eyes. They sit still next to one another in silence simply breathing together. Just as she’s almost sure he’s in his own head, he speaks suddenly, eyes still closed, “will you keep doing it?” He whispers, barely audible. She meets his gaze, “Do you want me to?” She prods softly. “Yes, please.” He breaths out, sounding dangerously similar to a whine. All of a sudden her brain is flooded with thoughts and images of cold hands tied to the headboard, letting the noise echo through her mind pleasantly. She wonders for a brief second what he actually sounds like, before she’s wretched from her daydream by a gasp, a loud, shaky gasp. Oops, she realises, blushing profusely. Though he didn't necessarily know what she was thinking about they had established he could obviously feel it and that was embarrassing enough in it’s own right.  
“I’ll fight alongside you next time there’s a battle.” She says abruptly, trying to shift the subject from her embarrassing mistake. He blinks rapidly in shock by the sudden statement but responds quicker than she thought he would.  
“Absolutely not.”He says, the rigidity in his voice surprises her; she had never heard him speak sternly before and it was unfamiliar to her.  
“You aren’t the one to make that decision.”  
“ Jacob was almost crushed to death by a single newborn. Every battle with them is risky at best. I won’t hear of it. I can not-” he pauses, trying to regain his composure.  
“I can’t bear to re break your bones.”  
“Because of the feedback pain?”  
“Because of the screams. Because there’s nothing I can do to stop it.”  
“Carlisle, I will not leave you to fight alone.”  
“Please.” He says again, a statement this time.  
“I can’t just let you-”  
She’s interrupted by a loud knock at the door.  
Carlisle’s eyes snap to hers, in panic.  
The pack had come home early. They both get up as quietly as possible where she rushes him into her room and shoves the 400 year old vampire in her closet, closing the door without a second thought, too panicked to realize the hilarity of the situation.  
Shit, she thinks, now to greet the boys and get them out of the vampire infested region of the house without them noticing. She closes the door to her room as an extra precaution and rushes forward to answer the door. Yet when she answers it, she sees it’s not the pack or Billy standing outside of her house but instead

Leah Clearwater.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> honestly Leah x Esme makes a lot of sense especially in the context of this narrative and also Leah has gay energy so low key I think they'd make a cute couple and that would tie up all the relationships/loose ends and resolve her loss of Sam to Emily by imprinting by finally imprinting on someone herself. Also Esme is a queen and deserves to be happy in all universes


	4. Leah

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> alright guys the fourth installments finally out sorry it took so long I had some family issues/health problems that's kept me and my family pretty busy recently BUT i finally got the time to type out the fourth chapter! As always thank you for reading and let me know what you think if you'd like to! Now, on to the show!

She opens the door to a slightly damp Leah Clearwater standing outside of the house. She breathes a sigh of relief before tensing again, should she tell Leah? She wouldn’t tell the others in the pack for sure but would she approve or would she be disgusted by it? “The colors back in your face today.” she registers Leah compliment, “Thanks, I feel good. So, What’s up?” Carter asks, leaning against the doorframe. “Whose nice ass Mercedes is parked outside of your house, dude?” She leans in, whispering in a conspiratory manner, making the other woman smile.  
“Promise to not freak out.”   
“Look at who you’re talking to, kid.”   
“I’m going to hold you to that.” She says,   
“Wait here, seriously,” she adds leaving Leah out front to re-enter her bedroom, she opens the door and instantly realizes she can scent him. The air is thick to her and she shifts feeling almost smothered in it. It hits her like a cement wall.  
She stumbles forward, pulling the door to the wardrobe open and dragging him out, he doesn't tense under her touch, but he watches her with a confused brow as she pulls him forward. The flow of the bond is white-hot and blinding, before she can realize what’s happened, she’s stepped forward pressing a decided kiss on his open mouth.   
He crumbles against her, “Carter, -”   
for the first time, she feels rather than sees his jaw flex and for the first time, she hears him say her name.  
Her eyes snap open to meet his, foreheads leaned against one another.   
“Are you indifferent?” She asks softly, almost afraid of the answer wanting honesty either way. For a moment he looks dumbstruck as though almost offended by the prospect before they’re both barreling backward, Carlisle rockets them back towards the wall, his surgeon’s hands framing her jaw deftly from both sides, lip upturned in a slight smile as he kisses her. His head shifts down, and she notices him go rigid, nose buried in her neck. She raises a hand forward to pull his head closer by the nape of the neck, his lips jutting against her exposed throat. They’re all hands and she can’t keep track of who's doing what as her brain fogs. He growls, animalistic and desperate in a way that sounds dangerously close to a wild animal yet she doesn’t shy away; she knows for absolute certainty that Carlisle would not bite her without her consent. She trusts him. They are still for a long moment in silence breathing one another in before the silence is broken finally as Carlisle shifts upright to look her in the eyes.  
“I am sorry that my silence made me appear indifferent. I don’t want to overstep my bounds. I should have been more careful of you.” He says as he says most things she’s realizing, softly and with great integrity. The side of her mouth quirks up in a smile at his verbiage, a Vistage of past manners, days of courts and balls, she laughs aloud at the thought of the image, Carlisle, radiating warmth and comfort, the antithesis of the court he’s surrounded in with shallow nobles, all frills, and no substance. How he must have stood out so plainly from the rest, she thinks to herself. He’s draped around her like a worn coat which means she can see up close his bashful smile in reply to her.   
She stands on the tips of her toes, noses brushing together before she surprises him with a kiss to the bridge of his nose. He laughs, out of breath, high pitched and oddly alive seeming as he looks back at her with his warm honey-colored doe eyes. His gaze is warm and reassuring, looking for all in the world as if his entire universe ended and began with the two of them. She is leaned against him as he presses a feather-light kiss to her head, encasing her in his arms protectively when she remembers Leah.   
Shit.   
“This is not what I came here to do.” She breathes out finally in the form of an apology, straightening her clothes.  
Carlisle pulls away looking dazed pupils dark black and blown wide.“That makes two of us.” He smiles back at her and she can’t help but grin back.  
“Leah is here.” She spouts abruptly.   
“Do you want me to come with you?” He asks immediately, glancing at the door, she smiles at his protective streak even if slightly misguided.   
He seems nervous at the prospect of anyone who could upset Carter, shifting on his feet, trying to get between her and the door, to guard her.   
“I think it might be better to ease her in.” She responds, chuckling at the image of herself answering the door, Carlisle by her side. That would make for one hell of a story. So, Leah I know last week that I didn’t even know about the vampires here and no the head of the coven is just hanging out with me in my house, make perfect sense. Good luck with that one, she thinks sarcastically to herself.  
“You’re right. It can be… quite shocking, I’m sure.” He replies, picking, and choosing his words carefully with an unsurprising doctor’s precision. He’s treading lightly, she realizes, purposefully, Carlisle is trying desperately to be more gentle than he already is with her, she smiles up at him, chest warm.  
“Maybe this time though I don’t force you to hide in my 5 by 5 closet.” She jokes. For the first time, she hears him laugh, high-pitched and slightly anxious sounding but overwhelming warm like the rest of him.   
“A luxury but not technically a necessity. If it’s what the lady requires then I’m sure it wouldn’t be too unbearable.” He grins at her.   
“Carter, what the hell is taking you so long?” Another voice calls from a distance, Leah, getting impatient out front. How much time had even passed? Neither of them had even the faintest idea but it had obviously been long enough that Leah was around 15 seconds from barging in, the house was practically hers as much as it was Carter’s so she couldn’t really blame Leah for being curious about her, frankly odd behavior.  
“Stay here. I’ll come back if I need reinforcements.” She whispers.  
“ Don’t get too stuck in the trenches,” She hears him reply as she shuts the bedroom door behind her, for a brief moment she ponders if he was born during a World War before she drops the topic in favor of readying herself as she approaches the front door.   
When she opens the door she’s greeted to the sight of Leah standing outside her arms crossed, clearly more than a little frustrated with her cousin’s vagueness.   
“Whatever it is. It must be pretty damn bad if you’re locking even me out.” Leah comments, looking over Carter.   
“It’s not bad it’s just...complicated.”  
“Uh oh, it’s even worse than I thought.”  
“Alright, alright. Enough, get in here.” Carter steps back a pace opening the door to allow Leah to enter.   
Leah walks in only to stop at the doorway.  
“The house still reeks of bloodsucker,” she comments making Carter internally wince to herself.  
There’s no way Carlisle didn’t hear that.  
“Well if you protected Jake a little better, they wouldn’t have been at our house at all.”  
She speaks before even registers what she’s saying, anger flaring up both over her wounded brother and Carlisle.  
“What’s up with you recently. I can’t figure it out. Did you kill someone? Because honestly, it wouldn’t be that hard to fix so-”  
“No, I haven’t committed any felonies.” She retorts earning a slight smile from Leah.  
“So what the hell has you so torn up?”Leah asks quizically.  
Carter turns her head to look at the sofa behind her.   
“Let’s sit down first.”  
“Okay?” Leah agrees even though she’s still visibly confused.  
As they both sit, Carter’s heartbeat gets faster and faster, adrenaline pumping in expectation of the other woman’s reaction.  
“You can’t tell anyone.”  
“Seth doesn’t count anyway.”  
“I’m serious, Leah, no one in the pack, not yet anyway. Please.”  
“Fine. I promise, you know I have your back anyone so I don’t know what all the fuss is about-”  
“IveimprintedwithCarlisle.” The phrase comes out in one breath, almost unintelligible.  
There’s a pause before Leah’s head snaps to Carter’s door.  
“That’s why I can smell him. He’s here!” Leah mouths silently to the other, now aware of the third person in the house.  
Carter rolls her eyes, reluctantly nodding.   
“Wait….”  
“Yes, he’s married why do think I’m freaking the fuck out.” She mouths back to the other.  
“Shit. What are you going to do?” The other questions sympathetically, Leah more than anyone knows the inescapable destiny of imprinting.   
“I don’t know. I mean he makes an agreeable partner but didn’t you say his wife was nice.”  
“I’ve heard she’s nice. I haven’t talked with her really, just seen short glimpses in battle.”  
“But she would know you?”   
“I’m sure she could work it out fairly quickly.”  
“Leah…-”  
“Oh nonono. Hell no. No please don’t.”  
“Leah, I have no choice. I definitely can’t send Sam and I feel like it’d be wrong for me to go. I don’t want to start a war.”   
Leah drops her head in her hands staying there motionless for a long moment. Finally, she straightens back to respond.  
“Fine, but you owe me and no some little shit either I mean big time.”  
“thankyouthankyouthankyou.”She whispers pulling Leah in a tight hug.  
“Plus you’ll get to see what all the fuss is about if you’ve just “heard” she’s nice. Check it out for yourself.”  
“Okay, that’s enough. I’m already going you don’t have to lay it on any thicker.” Leah chides softly, pushing herself up off the couch. She walks to the front door only turning back to look at Carter right before closing the door.  
“If this gets me murdered I’m going to be pissed.” She says, before closing the door.  
“Why’s it always gotta be me as messenger,” Leah mumbles to herself cranking the engine to the car. She had never driven to the Cullen’s house but she was sure she could backtrack using her normal path in the woods with the pack as a guide.  
“Here goes nothing,” She thinks as she pulls onto the highway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think you can all see where this is headed. tbh twilight is ours now and damn it I'm going to make all the characters happy and in love i don't care lmao anyway the fifth installment will be on its way ASAP as usual and will be titled "Esme" so stay tuned!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I'm really excited about this fic:) as always let me know what you think/what you like best and I'll do my best to keep to updates coming regularly (hopefully haha)
> 
> ps Carlisle is age 23-26 in my head cannon but is still otherwise movie!carlisle


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